Former Phoenix Suns player and Fountain Hills resident Steven Hunter will bring his Life Skills and Basketball Academy to town this year, planned to run from June 22-26 for athletes five to 14 years of age.

With the mission of “teaching youth to excel above and beyond the rim,” the academy will be hosted out of the Fountain Hills High School, with sessions running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Ten-year NBA vet Steven Hunter will be on hand to provide special instruction through each day of the camp, with special NBA guest speakers invited to come and share their knowledge with the kids.

“We don’t just teach basketball,” Hunter said.

“Every day I preach to my kids about self-respect, bullying, teamwork and other life skills that will help them excel at not only the game of basketball, but also the game of life.”

Hunter said he enjoys working with kids, hence his camp’s target age range. In those years, he said their personalities are still being molded and it’s a good time to try and have a positive impact on their lives.

“I’ve noticed that a lot of camps are the same, just throwing the basketballs out there and letting the kids run wild,” he added.

“I think one of the things that parents like about my camp is that I actually take the time to teach the kids the fundamentals.

“I’m not just using my name and my NBA status to promote the camp, I’m there working one on one with the kids every step of the way. I enjoy teaching the game and sharing the knowledge I’ve gained in my life.”

Participants will receive a camp jersey and water bottle with registration, as well as a participation trophy at the end of the camp and special achievement awards.

Registration is ongoing at stevenunterbasketballacademy.org. The first 25 kids to register will be entered into a raffle to win four Suns tickets to a home game of their choosing.

For additional information, call 707-877-6032.

The price to register is $250 per athlete who registers before June 8. The price will be $275 after June 8. There is also a sibling discount at $200 per athlete registered before June 8 or $250 after. These prices are valid when two or more siblings register together.

“A lot of the kids stay in during the summertime, they’re in the house, playing video games, and they’re not very active,” Hunter said.

“I wanted to bring a camp to my hometown of Fountain Hills. I wanted to get involved with the community, and what better way to do that than give the youth of the community something to do in the summer that’s positive and that keeps them active?”